Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Dev Responds to Generative AI Backlash: 'Not Replace, but Streamline'

In February 2025, Activision yet admitted to utilizing generative AI for immoderate Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 assets. Now, up of the merchandise of Black Ops 7, Treyarch subordinate originative director, Miles Leslie, has clarified the Call of Duty developer's position.

“We unrecorded successful a satellite now, wherever determination are AI tools,” Leslie told IGN up of Black Ops 7's uncover astatine Opening Night Live 2025.

“I deliberation our authoritative connection we said past year, astir Black Ops 6, is that everything that goes into the crippled is touched by the squad a 100 percent. We person generative AI tools to assistance us, but nary of that goes in-game.

"And past you're going to say, ‘Yeah, but it has.' I'll accidental it has by accident. And that was ne'er the intention. We've travel retired and been precise wide that we usage these arsenic tools to assistance the team, but they bash not regenerate immoderate of the fantastic squad members we person that are doing the last touches and gathering that contented to enactment it successful the game.

“So everything you play: human-created and touched. AI tools successful the satellite we unrecorded in: it's however bash we streamline it? That's truly the goal. Not replace, but streamline.”

Call of Duty has suffered a fig of generative AI controversies successful caller years, including the now-infamous six-fingered zombie Santa bundle. It remains successful Black Ops 6. So, fixed Leslie's anterior answer, wherefore hasn't it and different suspected generative AI images been removed from the game?

“Yeah, bully question," helium responded. "Not my department, but I cognize that the squad is actively looking astatine that stuff, making definite that it is not shipped, and however we hole it.”

If a akin concern continues into the freshly revealed Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, it raises the question of whether a disclaimer should beryllium added to bundles that bash incorporate generative AI-created artwork. After all, shouldn’t players cognize what they’re buying earlier dropping their precious COD points connected specified cosmetics?

For now, you tin cheque retired my afloat preview of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. For much from the devs, cheque retired their thoughts connected Call of Duty being called "lazy" and the menace of Battlefield 6.

Simon Cardy is simply a Senior Editor astatine IGN who tin chiefly beryllium recovered skulking astir unfastened satellite games, indulging successful Korean cinema, oregon despairing astatine the authorities of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Follow him connected Bluesky astatine @cardy.bsky.social.